Hunter
by ghmsmile
Summary: Maci Queen is sister to Oliver Queen, the vigilante Arrow. She was a forensic scientist living in Starling City, working as under the name 'Hunter' in her secret life. She moves to Central City after being offered a job at the CCPD and finds herself making new friends, fighting new foes, and feeling new feelings.
1. Saying Goodbyes

My name is Maci Queen. Sister to the famous Oliver Queen who returned to Starling City after five years of being presumed to be dead. He came back seeking justice for our beloved city. So we do it together. My home will no longer be Starling City. I decided to visit some friends.

~~~

"Maci, are you certain about this?"

I grunted, wiggling my way out of my best friend's bone crushing hug. I took a safe step back so I wouldn't be be caught in her arms again. Instead, another set of arms wrapped themselves around my shoulders, pulling me back into a hard chest. A small smile found its way onto my lips. I tilted my head up, meeting a pair of bright green eyes.

"Honey, I think she's certain. She hasn't shut up about it for days," Oliver joked.

I pursed my lips, letting out a dry laugh as I looked back at Felicity.

"Licity, trust me. I want to do this. It's time I get a new change in scenery. I've visited Central City a few times and I have friends there. I'll be okay," I assured, placing my hands on Oliver's arms.

Oliver dropped his arms, allowing me to turn around. I smiled up at my brother, properly hugging him. My buried my head in his chest, taking a whiff of a cologne. He held me tightly, his stance as if he was protecting me.

Before anything could be said, I was yanked out of Oliver's arms, squeezed tightly in those of another. I groaned quietly, rolling my eyes. I chose to ignore my brother's chuckle. I moved my arm as much as I could, patting the back of the next person hugging me. Thea.

"Promise me you'll call me often. I want to know everything," my little sister exclaimed.

I laughed, shaking my head as she moved so I could hug her. I would definitely miss Thea. In those five years when Oliver was gone, at first we were distant with each other. I was with all my family, but I never spoke to them. Instead, I would always go to the two tombstones of my father and brother.

A few weeks after the funeral, I decided to go see the tombstones, I found Thea there. We talked, venting to each other with everything that had been going on. It became a regular thing. During those years we grew a lot closer. 

"I promise, Thea," I assured, pulling away and placing my hands on her shoulders.

We all looked toward the door as a car horn sounded from outside; it would be the car that would take me to the train in my friend's and sister's eyes became fresh as we all realized it was time for me to leave. I turned to them, smiling softly.

"I actually forgot something upstairs. I'll run up and get it, then meet you outside," I said.

The girls nodded, Felicity wrapping her arm around Thea as the two walked outside. I slowly turned on my heel, glancing up at Oliver. Nodding my head slightly toward the stairs, he stared at me with a stoic look on his face. He began moving toward the stairs, a sign for me to follow. We made our way upstairs, stepping into my bedroom. Oliver stood in the doorway as I turned to face him. I crossed my arms, raising an eyebrow.

"What?" I asked, knowing he had something on his mind.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

I groaned quietly, walking further into my room. I ran my hand over the few pieces of furniture left. "Not you too. I don't need my entire family to be against me moving to Central."

Oliver shook his head, crossing his arms as he stepped closer to me. "This isn't about you moving to Central. It's about Hunter."

My hand stilled. I shifted my eyes over to look at him. My eye narrowed as I turned to face him.

"I know you, Mace. I know you'll be over there working with The Flash."

"How-?"

"I heard you talking to Barry the other day."

I frowned, looking down. I shrugged my shoulders and raised my head to look back up at him.

"And if I do?" I knew he was always wary of me working with him. Ever since day one and I had put on the hood, he was against it. Eventually he tolerated it, but I don't think he ever has accepted it.

Oliver walked up to me, placing his hand on my shoulders. He stood there before pulling me into a hug. I rested my chin on his shoulder, closing my eyes. Central City was only a short distance away from Starling, but I would miss my family. Especially my big brother.

"Just be careful."

I slightly pulled back, looking up at Oliver. I reached down, taking his hand into mine. We walked downstairs, out to the car that was waiting for me. I gave a shaky smile to my family, giving my final round of goodbyes. I slid into the backseat of the car, shutting the door and leaning out the window.

"I love you guys," I said, smiling at my family.

"We love you too, Maci," Thea said.

Oliver leaned down into the window, staring at me. I smirked, holding his gaze.

"Be safe," he muttered lowly.

"Always."

He stepped back, allowing me to roll up my window. The car began to pull out of the driveway, making its way to the city. I turned around, looking out the back window to see my family waving goodbye. I turn back away, settling into my seat. I smiled to myself as I put my earbuds in and turned on some music.

Goodbye, Starling City. Hello, Central City.


	2. Mr Allen

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now reaching our destination of Central City. Have a lovely day."

I stretched out my legs, yawning as I stretched out the kinks in my knees. I hated sitting for too long. I always had to be up on the move, seeking adventure.

That was part of my love from being Hunter. The thrill of it all. Saving lives, fighting baddies, and generally just making the world a better place. I never wanted to give that up. I would sooner die fighting for what I believed in than quit being Hunter.

The train slowly came to a stop as it pulled up to the station. As soon as we were given the go, all the passengers shuffled around to retrieve their belongings and leave the train. I grabbed the two suitcases from underneath my seat, along with my laptop case. As I stepped out of the doorway of the train, I felt my cellphone buzz. I pulled it out and glanced at the caller ID. A smile began to spread over my face. My finger slid across the answer button and I lifted the phone to my ear.

"Y'ello," I spoke. I shoved my phone in between my shoulder and ear, squishing it there to hold it as I pulled my suitcases along beside me.

"So how are you liking Central City?"

I laughed. "I literally just got off the train, Allen. Right now, I hate the crowds."

"...Right."

I smiled fondly to myself. I hadn't seen Barry since he first came to Starling City. We had just met then, but we decided to keep in touch. We talked constantly, keeping each other in the loop of everything. Which meant, I knew about the Flash.

That night when he was hit by lightning, Iris called me straight away. I got to Central as fast as I possibly could. Seeing the man who had become my best friend lying there in the hospital bed, his heart constantly stopping, it broke me. I don't know how I was able to handle it as well as I did.

That was the last time I had seen him in person. He had called me when he finally woke up nine months later, I cannot say how happy I was when I heard his voice over the phone again. Of course, it was a surprise to hear that the lightning had given him super speed. He wasn't the nerdy forensic scientist I used to know. Now he was the nerdy forensic scientist with secret powers.

"Whatcha smiling about, Queen?"

His question snapped me out of my thoughts, causing me to frown. How could he know I was smiling? I lifted my eyes, scanning the crowd in front of me. Everyone was just bustling about, trying to reach their destinations. Except for a dark haired man standing in the midst of it all. A grin was on his face as he held up his phone to his ear. The smile on my face stretched over my cheeks, making my face hurt.

I quickly hit end on the call, grabbing my things as fast as I could move. I began to drag my things through the crowds, being shoved along the way due to the station getting busier. I huffed under my breath, doing my best to ignore the crowd. A sudden gust of wind blew my hair back out of my face.

Then I was outside. My eyes darted around in confusion as I tried to figure out what just happened. How did I get from the station to out here so quickly? Wait a minute...

I felt another gust of wind and all of a sudden a hand was pressed into my back. I whirled around to see Barry standing there, a grin on his face as he finished setting my suitcases down. My eyes widened in surprise. Even though I heard stories about Barry's speed, I never experienced it up close.

"Barry, whoa. That was-wow!" I gasped.

Barry laughed, shaking his head as he pulled at my waist. I stumbled into his chest, wrapping my arms around his torso in a hug. He squeezed me once before letting me go. I looked up at him, smiling, before a few tears escaped my eyes. Barry frowned immediately, cupping my face in his hands as he wiped away the tears.

"Hey, hey, what's the matter?" he asked gently.

I shook my head, letting out a laugh. I reached up to pull his hands away, nodding to assure him I was alright.

"Sorry. It's just, the last time I actually got to see you was when you were laying in that hospital bed," I explained. "I know we talked after you woke up and everything, but not being able to see you for so long after having left you while you were still in a coma, it just hit me all of a sudden that you were still alive. Not to mention hearing about all your close encounters. It's stupid, I know."

Barry tugged on my arm as I tried to step away. He hugged me again, resting his chin on the top of my head. Yeah, I was that short. He broke away after a few minutes, looking down at me. He took my hand and placed it on his chest, right over his heart. I felt it's fast pace beating through his chest. It was especially as quick but Felicity had told me once that it was due to his speed.

I met eyes with Barry, a small smile making it's way on my lips. He gripped my hand that was resting over his heart.

"My heart's still beating. I'm still here, May," he assured in a low voice, using the nickname he had given me awhile back.

"It's really fast," I discovered, giggling softly.

He chuckled in response, letting go of my hand. He grabbed one of the suitcases, beginning to walk down the street. I took ahold of the other suitcase, walking along beside him.

"The car is parked a little ways down here," Barry informed me.

"Car? Did you finally get one?"

He laughed. "No. It's Joe's. He let me borrow it so I could pick you up and we didn't have to walk the entire way."

"Ohh," I realised, nodding my head. "How are they? Joe and Iris?"

"They're...good. They're good," he answered, keeping his eyes on the sidewalk.

"And do you still have feelings for her?"

Barry looked over at me, frowning slightly. He shook his head as his eyes trained back to in front of us.

"No. She misses Eddie too much still. I couldn't and still can't compete with that."

I smiled sympathetically, reaching out and rubbing his shoulder. I knew how much he liked Iris. It wasn't just liking her. He loved her. I was glad he was moving on though.

"I'm sorry, Bar. Maybe there's someone else out there for you. Don't give up yet."

Barry looked over at me, a small smile on his face. He glanced to the side of the road, where a car sat waiting.

"Here we are," he said, taking my shoulder and guiding me to the car.

He took the suitcases and placed them in the back seat. Opening the passenger side door, he held it to let me slide in. I grin as I sit down. He closes the door and runs around the front of the car to get in the driver's seat.

"We'll head over to the West's house. They'll be glad to see you and Iris is excited that you're moving in," Barry said.

"I'm excited to see them too. During those two weeks when I came to be with you in the hospital, Iris and I got really close. We were each other's shoulder to cry on. Along with that, we got to talking and became really good friends."

I saw Barry smile at me from the corner of my eye before he directed his eyes back to the road. I leaned my head against the door, a smile of my own spreading across my lips. I was pretty tired from that train ride. I'll be glad to get to sleep tonight.

"Maci Queen!"

I grunted at the sudden weight thrown into my arms. I stumbled back a bit as I tried to balance myself. Once I was steady, I threw my arms around the attacker tightly. I laughed, embracing the young woman.

"Iris West. It's been too long," I said, pulling back to smile at my friend.

Iris placed her hands on my shoulders, smiling widely. "Yes it has. We haven't seen each other in years!"

I chuckled, nodding my head. "We have a lot to catch up on," I said as I stepped back.

I turned to quickly hug Joe, smiling up at the detective. He placed his hands on my shoulders, a warm smile on his face

"It's good to see you again, Maci."

I nodded. "Especially in better circumstances than last time."

I stepped back, bumping into Barry slightly as I glance up at him. I felt his hand press into the small of my back, warmth radiating from that spot. He gently pushed me forward to the doorway, guiding me inside after Joe and Iris. I shiver as I step inside, the warm air from the heater doing good on my chilled bones.

It was early December and snow had already begun to fall in Central. It was a lovely sight to see the city covered in a white blanket, but I strictly enjoyed snow for looks only. I hated the frigid chill of it.

Iris grabbed my arm, tugging me up the stairs to the room that I would be staying in. As we headed up the stairs, I heard a phone ring. I glanced down to where Barry and Joe still stood. Barry held his phone up to his ear, his words inaudible.

His eyes flickered up to the stairs, looking up at me. His frown deepened, causing me to mimic his expression but instead from confusion. I blinked and his was gone, no sign left but a strong wind blowing my hair back. I had one thought as I looked behind my shoulder as I walked upstairs:

 _Be careful, Barry._


	3. Phone Conversations

**Alright, because it began to go the me so much that Moirah was still alive when this takes place where she shouldn't, I changed the first chapter a bit. Basically I replaced Moirah with Felicity. So that changed. And the only slight AU is where Felicity and Oliver are already married. But besides that, this is completely out of the timeline. Enjoy the next chapter!**

I was stretched out on my bed, my fingers typing on my phone rapidly. I had unpacked after Barr. had left, and now I was just laying there, waiting for the speedster to return. It's been only a couple hours so there was no need to worry. A couple hours was normal for Barry's job. _Speaking of job...I start mine tomorrow._

Back in Starling, I worked as a forensic scientist as my day job at the SCPD. I've always been intrigued by crime scenes and mysteries. I would always want to be the one to look for clues and help solve murder mysteries. When I became a forensic scientist, I got that chance.

However, it was a bit….awkward for me to have to go to the very crime scenes my brother and I had caused. Thank God no one knew anything. If so then work would have become very uncomfortable.

But I was eager to get back into the forensic business. Thanks to Mr. Barry Allen, he was able to talk to Detective Singh and suggest bringing in a forensic scientist to help him. It was more of an assistant to Barry, but I didn't care. I could continue working in the job I loved and on the plus side, I was able to work with my best friend. Bonus!

I was interrupted from surfing the web when a call came through. A smirk lifted the corner of my lips as I swiped the answer button.

"Maci Queen, aka Hunter, speaking."

A heavy sigh came from the other line, causing a chuckle escape me. I propped my arm underneath my head, settling deeper into the mattress.

"You really need to stop saying that. One of these days, someone could hear. You better be glad that I'm in the cave with Diggle and Oliver and not out in town."

I laughed at my friend, then suddenly perked up at the name of my brother. I sat up, a grin evident on my face.

"Hi, Ollie!" I exclaimed, practically yelling into the phone.

I heard a masculine chuckle followed by "Hi, Mace."

I smiled sadly, beginning to miss my big brother. I was happy to be in Central City now, but I do miss Starling. I just wanted a fresh start though. Explore more. Besides, Starling becomes depressing after so long.

I heard the click of Felicity's heels as Dig's and Ollie's voices faded away. I figured that she was walking away so we could talk in private.

"How's your impression of Central City so far?" she asked.

I chuckled, a smile on my lips. "I like it here. It's nice. I start work tomorrow at the CCPD as Barry's assistant actually."

"You guys will be working really close then." she answered. "Try not to strangle each other."

I laughed. "We'll try."

I glanced up as my door opened, revealing a very exhausted Barry. I smiled up at him, waving my fingers as I half-heartedly listened to what Felicity was saying.

"-of course you two could start dating."

My eyes widened almost comically, the breath nearly knocked out of me. I immediately sat up on the bed, locking eyes with Barry who had a confused look on his face. Thank God the phone wasn't on speaker.

"Okay, I'm gonna pretend that you didn't say that last part because that will never happen in this lifetime."

"So you're saying there's a chance you two will reincarnate and find each other again, falling in love and having little adorkable Baci babies?"

I shook my head, pinching the bridge of my nose. Was she serious? Did she really see Barry and I getting together in the future? I'm sorry, but no way.

"Okay, one, never say that again. And two, never gonna happen, Licity," I answered.

"You never know~" she sang.

"I never _want_ to know." I retorted as I settled back into the plush mattress.

I closed my eyes, beginning to grow tired. I would have fallen asleep if a huge weight didn't suddenly fall into my stomach.

My eyes flew open as I groaned in pain. I looked down at Barry who was laying across my stomach, face down into the bed.

"Barry Allen, God! Lose weight or something!" I complained.

He said something but it was muffled from the blankets. Although it sounded vaguely of "Shut up". I reached down and flicked the side of his head, growing irritated at the discomfort on my stomach. I yelped as Barry retaliated by slapping my arm.

"I gotta go, Felicity. I'll talk to you later." I said.

"Okay, bye!"

I hung up, smacking Barry in the head. "Get off!"

Barry did sit up, shifting around to lay beside my legs. He rested his head on my stomach, yawning loudly. I chuckled, ruffling his hair. We laid there for a few long moments in comfortable silence. My eyes closed, my body completely relaxed. My fingers continued to run through Barry's hair as I began to doze off.

"I'm hungry."

My eyes opened. _Sigh._


	4. First Day

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

With a groan, I slammed my fist down on the alarm clock a few times to find the dismiss button. After the fifth time, it finally stopped. I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes before I pulled the covers away.

I trudged over to my closet to choose an outfit. My moves were sluggish as I did not want to be up. I never have been much of a morning person. When I became Hunter, my sleep hours changed even more. I've never been able to get much rest after patrol, not to mention having to always get up early for my forensic job in Starling.

I threw on a simple pair of jeans along with a button up blouse. After I tied up my hair into a braid, I dashed downstairs into the kitchen where I nearly collided with Joe.

"Oh! Good morning," I said.

"Good morning, Maci," Joe chuckled. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah. The part of having to get up was the problem," I joked.

He laughed, nodding his head in agreement. "Well it's a good thing you are. We just got a call. There was a robbery and a murder last night ."

My brow raised in surprise. I glanced up the stairs as I heard Barry come down. A small smile was directed toward him as I turned back to Joe.

"Do I need to come along?" I questioned. I honestly wanted to go either way. I always enjoyed murder mysteries.

"Well, you're Barry's assistant now and since we need him, you should come along as well," Joe answered.

Barry threw his arm around my shoulders, grinning cheekily. "I have an assistant."

I rolled my eyes, a smirk on my lips. I stepped out from under his arm as I shot him a look. "Maybe I can actually get you to be on time," I retorted.

Barry shot me an annoyed look before turning to the front door. Joe and I followed behind him as we walked to Joe's police car. In a few moments, we were on our way to the crime scene, a jewelry store. Typical. As soon as we arrived, Barry and I set to examining the crime scene.

I pulled out my camera, snapping pictures of the scene. Anything I thought could be useful, I took a picture of for further reference. The jewelry case that was stolen from, the cash register that had money taken from, and the body: the employee that was working that night.

I searched for fingerprints as well, but found none. We were dealing with a pro. They also had shut down the surveillance cameras. This was going to be difficult to bust, I could already tell.

As I finished going around the room, I joined Barry over by the body. The sight was very disturbing. Multiple burn wounds covered the man's body. The skin was blackish, well into third degree. I grimaced, the sight reminding of the very burn scars I had on my back.

I glanced up at Barry, frowning slightly. He met my eyes, furrowing his brow curiously. I looked back down at the victim, noticing a mark on his wrist where one of his burns were. Instead of just a normal burn, it was formed into a shape. It was nothing more than a simple upside down triangle, but it was very familiar.

"I know who did this," I muttered, looking back at Barry. "It was a meta."

"How do you know?" he asked, the tone of his voice earnest.

I reached down, tugging my shirt down uncomfortably. "Because I have the same shape of burn on my stomach," I muttered just loud enough for him to hear.

It was hard to ignore the pained look on his face. He remembered the incident. Felicity had been the one to tell him. Frankly, I was too busy being in pain to tell him myself.

 _I was withering, no, my whole body was convulsing. My own wails and cries seemed to not be my own. It was like another woman was in the room, screaming for me. It was like I wasn't in my own body. I couldn't feel a thing yet I felt the agony of the fresh burn on my stomach._

 _Diggle and Oliver lifted me onto the operating table, having to hold me down as my body seized in pain. Oliver tugged my jacket off, pulling my shirt up enough to reveal the burn._

 _Diggle ran to get the herbs as Felicity took his place, gripping my arm tightly. She reached up to brush my hair off my sweaty face._

" _Breathe, Maci, just breathe."_

" _Easy for you to say," I spat out._

 _Diggle came to my side, raising my head up to give me the herbs. I choked them down, desperate for the relief I knew they would give. I gasped for air, laying back onto the cool metal table. At least that provided some relief to my hot skin._

 _I closed my eyes, sighing softly before I gingerly touched the burn. It hurt, but not as much as before. I glanced down at my stomach, noticing the shape it had created._

" _Some calling card," I muttered, laying my head back on the table._

I rose to my feet, turning to Joe who had approached us. His brow was quirked as he scanned my face. I looked over at Barry before speaking to Joe.

"This is going to take some...special help to take care of who did this," I said, lifting an eyebrow.

Joe nodded grimly as he looked down at the victim. With his eyes locked on the burn, he opened his mouth to speak.

"Good thing we have friends who can help," he said, turning to walk away as he gave us a pointed look.

Barry and I shared a look before we walked out of the crime scene. We began to make our way down the empty sidewalk. It was mostly silent between us as we made it far enough away from the crime scene. I let out a sigh, training my eyes on the cracked sidewalk.

"Let's go."

I began to blink and in an instant, I was swooped up into Barry's arms, moving at an inhuman speed. I buried my face into Barry's shoulder, holding in my breath.

 _I will never get over this._ I thought with a smile.


End file.
